When a user visits a company's website, he often reaches a point where he has a question, or needs assistance or further information immediately, e.g., before making a purchase of goods or services. The user often leaves the website at that point, without making the purchase, and may or may not call the company or website sponsor or owner later for help.
Additionally, a user may begin a transaction to make a purchase from a company on a website, and may decide to cancel out of the transaction. Often, the user is presented with a message like “You are about to cancel your transaction. Your information will not be saved. For help with this transaction or to continue by phone, call us toll-free at 1-800-555-1234.” It is unlikely that the user will respond to this type of message. In some cases, the user may not even receive a message. This is a missed opportunity for the company to increase the likelihood of making an online sale.